Governance

Governance incorporates the set of processes, customs, policy directives, laws and conventions affecting the way an organisation is administered, directed or controlled.

These arrangements provide the structure through which corporate objectives are set, the means by which they are to be achieved and the mechanisms by which the objectives are measured. Governance includes corporate and clinical governance -both of which are key systems through which ACT Health is accountable for continuously improving the quality of its services as well as facilitating high standards of quality and safe care.

The Chief Allied Health Office plays a central role in monitoring and developing processes for allied health clinical governance.

Regulation of Practice

Where an allied health practitioner is required by National Law to be registered with the relevant National Board it is the individual responsibility of the practitioner to ensure their registration is current at all times.

Any registered health professional employed in a position in which it is an occupational requirement to be registered and who has not provided evidence of the currency of their registration or application for same, and does not have current registration status on the AHPRA database on commencement of their first shift/workday one month after the renewal date, may be sent home on leave without pay until proof of registration is provided. ACT Health Annual Renewal of Professional Registration Policy

ACT Health, through the Chief Allied Health Office, conducts an annual compliance check of all registered allied health professions in line with the annual renewal date of 30 November.

Credentialing and Scope of Practice

ACT Health has a procedure to guide credentialing and defining the scope of clinical practice for allied health professionals. It is professionally led and provides a standardised governance process for verifying and monitoring the qualifications, experience, professional standing and other relevant professional attributes of allied health professionals.

Allied health professionals who are in scope for the ACT Health allied health credentialing and scope of clinical practice process are required to be credentialed before commencement of clinical duties at ACT Health and once per year thereafter. For existing employees, information about annual re-credentialing is provided by the Profession Lead for individual allied health professional groups. For new employees information about credentialing requirements is provided as part of the recruitment process. This may include new employees being required to complete the below forms – prospective new allied health employees to ACT Health will be advised as part of the recruitment process if this is the case.

Standards of Practice for ACT Health Allied Health Professionals

The revised Standards of Practice for ACT Health Allied Health Professionals were launched at the 2016 Allied Health Symposium on Wednesday 6 April 2016.

The purpose of the Standards are to:
• establish the required standard of professional practice for allied health professionals working in ACT Health
• provide allied health professionals working in ACT Health with a central point of reference to clarify the required standard of professional practice, and
• inform the community of the required standard of professional practice for allied health professionals working in ACT Health.

All allied health professionals are encouraged to become familiar with the Standards as a point of reference for professional practice in ACT Health.

Clinical Guidelines and Pathways

ACT Health encourages the use of clinical guidelines and pathways that are supported by best available evidence.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed a Clinical Practice Guidelines portal to help clinicians and policy-makers access clinical practice guidelines via a single entry point.